NORTH GOA COLLECTOR TOURS MINING AREAS TO VERIFY PROBLEMS TO PEOPLE

QUERIM: Collector of North Goa Mihir Vardhan, along with Pali MLA Pratap Gawas and government officials, visited Surla and other mining areas in Bicholim taluka to see for himself the problems faced by the locals due to the mining transportation.

The collector has fixed a meeting at Panjim in his chamber on December 7, to discuss the problems and find a solution.

Villagers from Pali constituency have lodged several complaints regarding the hardships faced by them due to the plying of mining trucks for the last several years.

The affected villagers had even blocked the road in Surla and surrounding areas on several occasions. Deputy collector Narayan Gad had imposed several restrictions on mining trucks in connection with the complaints filed by the affected people of the area.

Accordingly, mining vehicles were directed not to ply before and after class hours to avoid inconveniencing and endangering the lives of school children.

However, these restrictions could not control the air and noise pollution. The life of common people had become unbearable due to the large number of mining vehicles plying on the road. The public transport system was also badly affected due to the alleged rash and negligent driving by mining vehicles.

According to MLA Gawas, "For the last two decades we are affected by mining transportation but during the last five years increasing number of vehicles have added to the problem. Lack of discipline and increasing number of mining vehicles are responsible for increasing accidents on these roads."

The collector and the MLA were caught up in a traffic jam as their vehicles were held up in the middle of mining trucks.

Gawas said, "The existing roads in the mining belt were built long ago. They are narrow and overburdened and need to be broadened and maintained from time to time." Vidya Satardekar from Surla said, "Many of our generation became victims of air and noise pollution generated by the ore carrying vehicles. Life in these areas is affected by pollution. We have to live, eat and drink with dust which is now suffocating. Either mining transportation should be stopped or we should be rehabilitated."

The villagers also brought to the notice of the collector the need to undertake the construction of an alternative road, meant for mining vehicles, from Kothambi to Amona junction on a priority basis.(TNN)